It is a very hot summer day about 30 degrees here in Toronto and a perfect weather to indulge in some good home made ice cream. I always prefer home made to store bought ice cream as they are usually loaded with a bunch of flavor and colour enhancers to make the ice cream more palatable.

Pistachios have always been my favourite among the nut family. It is thick and creamy and has the full flavor of pistachios without the need for any of the artificial enhancers.

I made this in my Cuisinart Ice cream maker which I love as it lets me personalize my mix to make my favorite flavors of ice creams and sorbets.

How to make Philadelphia Style Pistachio Ice Cream

Ingredients

3 cups organic heavy cream, chilled

1 cup organic half & half, chilled

1 3/4 cups organic sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract

1 cup unsalted pistachios, shelled and powdered

1/2 cup unsalted pistachios, coarsely chopped

pinch of saffron (optional)

1/8 tsp salt

Directions

In a large heavy bottom pan, bring the cream, half & half sugar, saffron, salt and the powdered pistachios to a boil.

Once the sugar has dissolved, remove from the heat and let it cool completely.

Add the vanilla and almond extracts.

Pour into glass container, cover with plastic wrap, pressing it against the mixture to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 5 hours, preferably over night.

Remove from the refrigerator and pour into an ice cream machine. It will take about 25-30 minutes. Once it has thickened (after 25-30 min), add the chopped pistachios and let it run for another 5 minutes.

The consistency after 30 minutes will be like a soft serve ice cream.

Place in a freezer-safe container and chill overnight, preferably before serving.

Notes:

I used raw pistachios, but you can use roasted and salted pistachios as well.

Instead of pistachio powder, you can also use pistachio paste but I have yet to try that version.